The Troy Gentry Foundation Launching With January Benefit Concert

A new non-profit organization has been founded in honor of late Montgomery Gentry member Troy Gentry. The Troy Gentry Foundation will officially launch with a benefit concert in January.

Created by Gentry's wife Angie and some friends, the Troy Gentry Foundation will offer financial support to cancer research organizations, groups that assist military families and organizations that focus on music education, according to AllAccess. Angie Gentry explains that the foundation's founders "wanted to do something to keep the spirit of Troy's generous heart alive and honor his memory."

"Troy was taken too soon, but we felt his dreams and dedication to helping others needed to continue," Angie Gentry notes. "He was very passionate about our military and their families, about those in need to provide for their children, cancer research, and the continuation of music education."

Gentry died in a helicopter crash in Medford, N.J., on Sept. 8, 2017; he and Montgomery were scheduled to perform there that evening. Gentry was removed from the helicopter crash wreckage at the scene but was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. In addition to Gentry, the helicopter’s pilot, James Evan Robinson, died in the crash; crews worked for hours to remove his body from the wreck. The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the crash expands upon initial reports that the helicopter pilot experienced mechanical issues prior to crashing.

Troy Gentry was 50 years old when he died. On Feb. 2, Montgomery released Here's to You, Montgomery Gentry's final album, finished just days before Gentry's death. He is celebrating the new record and the duo's 20th anniversary with a 2018 tour.